Music Teachers National Association (MTNA): "the preeminent source for music teacher support, where members embody like-minded values and commitment to their students, colleagues and society as a whole, while reaping the rewards of collaboration, continuity and connection throughout the lifetime of their careers. The mission of MTNA is to advance the value of music study and music making to society and to support the professionalism of music teachers”.

music lessons over the summer, Enjoy a more relaxed time to learn

Believe it or not, summer will be right around the corner. Sunshine, warm air, longer periods of daylight, fun, and school vacation. For most people it’s a favorite time of year to rest and reset.

So, you ask why take music lessons over the summer?

Why not?!

What do you think would happen if you spent a couple of hours per day practicing an instrument during summer?

Magic -- You would be one step closer to mastery of that instrument! The summer is a great time to get a jumpstart on a new personal project.

Summer is the perfect opportunity to experiment something new with no fall strings attached! You want to start learning a musical instrument or have interest in exploring an additional one, summer is the best time to “give it a try!”. Lessons time slots are more flexible. It is the perfect tome to try something new without commitments.

Why take the summer off…? Why not keep up the positive momentum and keep going for that next piece, that difficult scale, or those new fingerings. The sky is the limit!Move forward and keep up developing the musical kills you worked so hard to build over the course of the year. Take a moment to think about the music you were playing last fall and the music you can play now, and realize what you have achieved. Without teacher guidance or practice, like everything else, your musical skills will backslide! Music lessons during the summer = keep your progress going. It’s as simple as that. Even if a current music student is motivated enough to practice over the summer they still might find it difficult to progress without the guidance of a teacher. Sure, you can continue to work your way through a method book, but, you would lack the guidance through instruction and demonstration that a teacher can offer you.

Get the right mix of fun and challenges. Whatever activities your child will undertake during the summer, music lessons are the perfect complement your child expectations of having a great and exciting summer. Enjoying music lessons over the summer provides your child with entertaining goals to work toward, builds self confidence and initiative, and develops a positive attitude when school resumes.

Whatever your motivations are, enjoy this relaxing time to explore. We’ll be here to help you. No strings attached.

“If I don’t practice for a day, I know it. If I don’t practice for two days, the critics know it. And if I don’t practice for three days, the public knows it.”

Louis Armstrong, jazz legend

Practicing - it’s a word that has some sting to it. As artists we all need to do it in order to perfect technique, prepare for performance or to simply maintain the skills we already have. To some of my students it usually seems like a another hopeless chore to add to the list of homework, walking the dog, eating five servings of vegetables, going to the dentist, etc. Let’s change that. Let’s make practice fun again!

As a professional musician, educator, composer, and stay at home parent, I completely understand lack of available time. My philosophy is: "If it's important, do it first in your day". So, I try and put my practicing early in the day to make sure it doesn't get replaced by something else.

I ask of my beginner students (vocal and piano) at FortePiano in Winchester is that they take a minimum of ten minutes per day working on what was covered in their previous lesson. Ten minutes - 600 seconds. That is less than 1% of a 24 hour day.

So, with the little available time my piano and voice student asks, “How should I practice?”.

My motivator....

Here’s the process that I try to get my students to do:

Ask yourself: “Why am I practicing?” - My hope is that the thought that first comes to mind is to “play” or “have fun”. Music inherently should be fun. If it isn’t talk to your teacher. They can and should help you find the fun again.

Prepare before you start - get whatever materials you need for your practice session. Pencil, sheet music, water, etc. Everything within arms reach so that you can stay with your instrument, and stay focused.

Warm up! - Breathe. Get into a place of focused attention. Then start simple with your instrument (long tones, scales, technical exercises) and then move toward what is more complex.

“Practice the Problem” - Don’t go directly for what you know. Make mistakes! That how we get better. You should be practicing a piece or section of a piece that is a little difficult for you. Or if preparing for performance - working on polishing, or memorizing a piece. This is what your teacher is usually referencing when they tell you what you should be focusing on from week to week.

Take notes - so that you can remember what went well, and what didn’t. This is of particular help for your teacher and makes your lesson time even more productive. (Parents of young beginners should feel free to talk with their child’s teacher about what works and what doesn’t).

Repeat! Practice is only as good as how frequently you do it! (See what Mr. Armstrong said at the beginning of this post.)